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Approaching Mixing…

COMPLICATED OR SIMPLE


It is easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to mixing. Whether that is through over complicating what is going on, or even simplifying the mix. Sometimes a song calls for lots of FX to be utilized and other times you just need to keep it simple stupid.

 

MAKING THE HARD CALL


While there are simple steps you can take to deciding how to approach mixing a song, such as playing the mix towards the standard techniques of the genre, or utilizing other songs to serve as a reference or inspiration for how you may want to mix a song. These tried and trusted methods are fantastic and often they never fail to deliver. I personally enjoy making the tough decisions based on how a song feels to me and incorporate the invoked feelings and emotions I feel into how I mix.

If a song makes me feel happy, I love using my favored bright reverbs to really make the song shimmer with happiness. If it invokes sadness I will reach for darker reverbs or disjointed dotted delays that bounce through the song. Invoking anger, pour on the saturation more than normal to really make it sound aggressive.

 

OPEN MINDED APPROACH


With all that being said, the best approach outside of bringing your own ideas to the table for a mix, is to be completely open minded about how you mix a song. If it’s your own song you are mixing, then you make that song sound how you want that song to sound. Mixing for someone else? Make sure you make that song sound how the songwriters want that song to sound, but definitely don’t be afraid to throw your own ideas based on your own style at them, maybe even chuck your personal mixing signature in the mix somewhere if it fits in. Just always remain open minded with your creativeness.

 

MIX FOR THE SONG


Always remember to mix a song how that song should be mixed. Use the invoked emotions, song theme, lyrical content, genre stylings or all of the above to create a personalized mix for each and every song because no two songs are the same, the might sound the same, be inspired by other songs, or even borrow 90% of everything from another song. But every song is unique in its own way, so make sure you treat it that way.

Wesley Edgerton – Bella Dose Music – Audio Engineer



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